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LIVE Transfer Talk: Manchester United plan new era with arrival of Juventus’ Dybala

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admits some of his Man United players have played their last game for the club.

With the transfer window for Europe’s biggest clubs set to open soon — find out when the Premier League transfer window opens — rest assured that Transfer Talk is scouring the world’s media and setting correspondents loose to see what is on the agenda. You can click here to review all the latest transfers.

TOP STORY: Man United plan new era around Dybala

A busy summer full of comings and goings is expected at Old Trafford, and Calciomercato suggest that Paulo Dybala will be one of the people arriving at Manchester United when the transfer window opens.

Dybala, 25, has shown flashes of brilliance during his time at Juventus, but the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo last summer has contributed to fewer minutes and goals for the Argentina international. Dybala’s 10 goals in all competitions across 39 matches pales in comparison to the 22 he scored in 33 Serie A matches alone in 2017-18.

And the report says United “have made contact with Juventus over an £85 million swoop” with the Bianconeri ready to sell ahead of an overhaul for the former Premier League juggernauts.

Questions are already swirling around the Romelu Lukaku’s future with Man United, which cpould clear the way for Dybala to become the new centre piece in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s attack after the club missed out on the Champions League in the final weeks of the Premier League season.

LIVE BLOG

23.30 BST: That’ll do it for tonight’s Transfer Talk LIVE Blog. We hope you enjoyed it and remind you to check back shortly fo the freshest transfer rumours and reports from around the world of football. Goodnight!

22.48 BST: Manchester United’s chances of bringing in Jadon Sancho have reportedly taken a serious hit.

Sancho, 19, reportedly is dead set on playing Champions League football next season, something Man United can no longer offer after Saturday’s draw at Huddersfield.

With Dortmund having qualified for the UCL, thoughts are the youngster, who has scored 12 goals and racked up 19 assists this season, could stay in Germany for another season.

The hits just keep on coming for United…

22.01 BST: Could Mauricio Pochettino leave Tottenham this summer?

The Argentine boss hinted he could under one condition in his news conference ahead of Spurs’ Champions League semi-final second leg vs. Ajax.

Pochettino said that if Spurs were to win the Champions League that he could pursue something different or a new challenge.

These comments are weird for sure but it is hard to know if Poch is just joking and speaking in hyperbole. If Tottenham overturn their 1-0 deficit from the first leg and win the final in Madrid on June 1 I guess we will find out…

21.19 BST: Samuel Umtiti to Arsenal?

“He [Umtiti] is a good player, France has some very good players and the French market is quite attractive for many clubs,” Unai Emery told RMC Sport (via Marca).

“I always had French players at my clubs, Valencia, Sevilla, PSG and now, here at Arsenal. I could always count on those players.”

Umtiti, who was rated one of the best centre-backs in the world just over a year ago, has seen his stock decrease this season due to injury and a drop in form. The Frenchman has started just 13 times over all competitions this season, having failed to regain his starting spot from countryman Clement Lenglet, once he returned from injury.

Umtiti, 25, has four years left on his contract but with a starting spot no longer guaranteed, it will be interesting to see if Arsenal can lure him from the Camp Nou to help solve their defensive woes.

20.52 BST: France Football are claiming that Zinedine Zidane and Real Madrid are considering shattering the world-record transfer fee in an attempt to acquire PSG’s Kylian Mbappe.

With Paul Pogba and Eden Hazard rumoured to be heading to the Santiago Bernabeu, the source says the French star could join them, with Madrid expected to offer €280 million, almost €60m more than the record fee PSG paid for Neymar in 2017.

The report adds that PSG are unlikely to budge and sell the 20-year-old phenomenon at any price but that Real Madrid are set to tempt them with numbers they can’t refuse.

20.08 BST: Leicester, Barcelona to do battle over a striker target?

Yes, you read that correctly. Spanish paper Eldesmarque lists the Foxes as a “potential suitor” for AC Milan’s Andre Silva, who is currently on loan at Sevilla. Wolves, Marseille, Barcelona and Monaco are also mentioned with the Portuguese hitman, with Wolves tipped as favourites to sign the 23-year-old.

Silva has enjoyed a bit of a bounce-back season, scoring nine league goals on loan in Spain, after scoring just two last season in Italy with Milan. The Portugal international signed with Milan in 2017 for €38 million following a breakout season with Porto.

19.36 BST:  Shifting to MLS for a moment where it looks like we have a few trades going down.

With the MLS primary transfer deadline closing tonight at 11:59 pm CT, the action is heating up across the pond. 

First ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle has confirmed that Columbus Crew winger Justin Meram is headed to Atlanta United for $100,000 in General Allocation Money. Meram, 30, was in his second spell with the Crew and will provide cover for Atlanta in attack while star Ezequiel Barco participates in the U-20 World Cup for Argentina.

Meanwhile, The Athletic’s Paul Tenorio and Sam Stejskal are reporting that USMNT youngster Jonathan Lewis is set to be traded from NYCFC to the Colorado Rapids for allocation money.

Lewis, 21, is a huge talent as is evident by his role with the national team but in a ‘win now’ market like New York and on a team with big-money attacking players, he has mostly been relegated to a substitute’s role.

We will circle back regarding these two moves later on and any other moves from MLS ahead of the transfer deadline.

19.08 BST: With only £45 million expected to be available for summer transfers, Arsenal will be looking to offload some of their highest paid players.

A report from Goal.com suggests Arsenal are actively trying to find buyers for both defender Shkodran Mustafi and winger Henrikh Mkhitaryan, with the later making £180,000- a-week. The report adds that the club are also open to selling talented but polarizing midfielder Mesut Ozil, although finding someone to take on his £350,000-a-week wages will be a tough sell.

Aaron Ramsey, Petr Cech and Danny Welbeck are all already confirmed to leave while Mohamed Elneny and Carl Jenkinson are also expected to hit the exit door. Expect a busy summer at the Emirates, as Unai Emery and Arsenal have some major work to do.

18.37 BST: Aston Villa are being tabbed as betting favourites to sign Chelsea defender Gary Cahill this summer.

The accomplished 33 year old has barely played a part this season for the Blues under Maurizio Sarri and have been very vocal about his disappointment with his role and treatment under the Italian manager. 

Cahill, who has won the Premier League (x2), FA Cup (x2), League Cup, Champions League and Europa League, would be just the sort of veteran and leader the promotion hopefuls would look to bring in and has an obvious relationship with former centre-back partner and current Villa assistant John Terry.

SkyBet has Villa as better than 15/8 favourites for Cahill,  with Fulham, Rangers, Sheffield and West Ham rounding out the top five potential landing spots for the former England man.

18.02 BST: Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud is eyeing a move to guarantee more playing time and Ligue 1 remains on high alert.

With Nice and Marseille both reportedly interested in the France World Cup winner, another Ligue 1 club has now joined the chase.

Bordeaux are the latest club to express their admiration for the 32-year-old.  Sporting director Hugo Varela recently told L’Equipe, via the Daily Mail, “People who know [Giroud] have told us so much about him as a player, of course, but also as a person.

“He has the attributes we are looking for, but he isn’t the only one. Regardless of who comes, we know negotiations will be hard.”

Giroud, who has starred in the Europa League with 10 goals in 12 games, has started just seven games in the Premier League and is seeking a new home where he can play regularly ahead of Euro 2020.

17.19 BST: Derby County have announced they have a pre-contract with Aberdeen captain and Scotland international Graeme Shinnie.

The 27-year-old midfielder will sign a three-year contract with the Rams this summer, after four seasons with Aberdeen and 10 seasons playing professionally in Scotland overall.

Shinnie figures to be watching Derby County’s Championship play-off run closely, as Frank Lampard’s Rams have their eyes firmly on promotion to the Premier League.

16.39 BST: It looks like Stephan El Shaarawy has earned himself a contract extension at Roma, according to Il Corriere dello Sport.

Nicolo Zaniolo may have stolen the limelight — the positive limelight– in a disappointing campaign for the Giallorossi.

But El Shaarawy has been very impressive, scoring against Genoa at the weekend.

15.47 BST: Diego Godin has agreed a three-year contract worth €6.75 million-a-year with Inter Milan, sources from the club have told ESPN FC.

The Uruguay international bid an emotional farewell to Atletico Madrid at the Wanda Metropolitano on Tuesday afternoon, after confirming he would end his nine-year spell with the club — but did not mention his next destination.

However, sources at Inter have told ESPN FC he will sign a three-year deal with the Milan side. Godin, 33, had been offered a two-year contract by Atletico, but rejected it as he had already given his word to the Nerazzurri.

15:00 BST: Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata is interested in joining Barcelona when his contract runs out in the summer, according to Sport.

Mata’s deal ends at the end of the season, and the Catalan club could be tempted to make the deal as it’s on a free transfer.

13.51 BST: Barcelona still have work to do to get a deal for Ajax centre-back Matthijs de Ligt over the line despite the optimism they had one month ago, sources have told ESPN FC.

Barca had grown confident of landing De Ligt this summer after striking a loose agreement with him in March, but his agent Mino Raiola is now trying to get the Catalan club back to the negotiating table.

The interest in the Netherlands international — Bayern Munich, Juventus and Manchester United have all been linked — and Ajax’s run in the Champions League have led Raiola to suggest that the previous pact is no longer suitable.

12.59 BST: Manchester United are ready to renew their interest in Leicester defender Harry Maguire, sources have told ESPN FC.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is looking to bolster every area of his squad during the summer transfer window and Maguire, a target for Jose Mourinho 12 months ago, is a candidate to boost United’s options at the back.

Maguire, 26, was one of the few centre-backs both Mourinho and the recruitment team agreed was a suitable target last summer but United were priced out of a move by Leicester who valued the England international at close to £80 million.

12.02 BST: It looks like Manchester United is one destination off the table for Matthijs de Ligt as The Mirror are reporting he rejected a move to Old Trafford.

The Ajax captain is a target for every top team in Europe including Barcelona and Juventus.

However, despite United offering De Ligt £250,000-a-week, the Netherlands international has said he is not interest in the move.

 11.05 BST: Manchester City will hold contract talks with Vincent Kompany at the end of the season with his dramatic winner against Leicester City potentially coming in his final game at the Etihad Stadium.

The 33-year-old defender scored a 70th minute winner on Monday as City moved back a point clear of Liverpool at the top of the Premier League. They need to win their final game at Brighton to secure a second successive league title.

Kompany is City’s longest-serving player, having joined in August 2008, but his contract runs out at the end of the season — and ESPN FC has been told that there is a willingness from both the club and the player to agree a new deal. However talks are on hold until after the FA Cup final on May 18.

10.09 BST: ICYMI — Sources have told ESPN that Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba is willing to force through a move to Real Madrid this summer, but the World Cup winner’s club must first significantly lower their £160m valuation.

United’s failure to qualify for the Champions League has further intensified Pogba’s desire to leave Old Trafford, but the Red Devils have already publicly declared that they will not be selling their prized asset this summer.

The United rhetoric has done little to deter either Pogba or Real Madrid, but Los Blancos are banking on the Frenchman agitating for a move in order to drive his price down.

It is believed that Madrid are willing to pay around £120m for the former Juventus man, which would represent a small profit on the deal that brought Pogba back to the Premier League from Serie A.

09.47 BST: Antonio Conte has ruled out Roma as a possible destination next season, although he said there is a “60 percent probability” that he will be working in Serie A.

Conte has been out of work since being released from his contract by Chelsea last summer and his name has been linked with several clubs, including AC Milan, Inter, Roma and Juventus in Italy. However, the Giallorossi are not an option for him.

“I fell in love with the capital when I was there for two years as Italy coach, and you can feel the passion at the Stadio Olimpico, but today the conditions for me coaching there do not exist,” Conte told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “Sooner or later, though.”

To Mediaset, Conte added: “There’s a good chance [that I will coach in Italy], just like there’s a good chance I’ll coach abroad, but there’s also the possibility I won’t coach at all. There is a 60 percent probability that it will be Italy, 30 percent abroad and 10 percent that I’m left waiting.”

08.50 BST: Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has notified Gareth Bale, Dani Ceballos and Marcos Llorente that he does not count on their services for next season, according to Marca’s front page.

Bale was not even named as a substitute for Madrid’s 3-2 win over Villarreal at the weekend. The 29-year-old has struggled to win over the support of the fans in his six-year stint at Real Madrid. The Wales international is tied to Madrid until June 2022. Bale has scored eight goals and set up three more in 29 league appearances for Madrid, 21 as a starter.

Dani Ceballos, 22, has started in 13 league games this season for Madrid while injuries have limited Marcos Llorente to just five league starts.

08.10 BST: Eden Hazard is considering handing in a transfer request in order to push through his move from Chelsea to Real Madrid, according to AS.

The Spanish outlet’s front-page story this morning claims that, with Chelsea refusing to budge from their valuation of more than €100m for the 28-year-old forward, Hazard may officially demand an exit to give the Stamford Bridge hierarchy little choice other than the let him go.

However, AS adds that this remains a last resort for Hazard, who the report says still has gratitude for the club where has spent seven years and won two Premier League titles.

PAPER TALK (by James Capps)

Liverpool to move for Neres

Ajax are certainly going to lose a few players this summer — including Matthijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong — but one could be winger David Neres.

The Brazilian has caught the eye of Chelsea and Arsenal, while Liverpool have now joined the race, according to The Sun.

Ajax signed Neres for £13m from Sao Paulo in 2016, so make a hefty profit if they do sell for a reported £35m.

Spurs and Toffees to take a chance on Lo Celso

Premier League duo Tottenham Hotspur and Everton are leading the chase to sign Real Betis midfielder Giovani Lo Celso, according to the Sun.

The Argentina international is currently on loan at the La Liga side from French giants Paris Saint-Germain, and his temporary side have already triggered a clause to make the deal permanent.

But The Sun claims that Lo Celso’s great form has led to Betis considering the option of cashing in on the 23-year-old as soon as the ink has dried on his permanent contract.

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino is on the lookout for a new midfielder, following the departure of Mousa Dembele in January, while the future of playmaker Christian Eriksen remains in doubt.

A move for Lo Celso is set to be part of a major summer overhaul at the north London club, with chairman Daniel Levy set to give Pochettino a bumper transfer kitty.

Tap Ins

– Real Madrid’s search for a new goalkeeper continues, and reports in Marca claims Zinedine Zidane has now set his sights on Las Palmas youngster Josep Martinez. The former Barcelona youth product has just over a year remaining on his contract in Gran Canaria, meaning he will be available for a modest fee.

– Juventus full-back Joao Cancelo looks set to be axed by the club just a year after signing from Valencia, reports Calciomercato. The Portugal international has suffered a loss of form and confidence in recent months after a series of injuries, and boss Massimiliano Allegri has now run out of patience.

– Athletic Bilbao winger Markel Susaeta has rejected the offer of a new contract and will leave the club this summer, ending a 22-year association with his boyhood side, reports AS. The one-cap Spain international joined the Basque club as a 10-year-old in 1997.

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